ADRIAN — Three new commissioners took their seats at Monday night’s Adrian City Commission meeting, after which commissioners decided who among their number would serve in various roles.
Commissioners Tiffany Zych, Aaron Chesher, and Chip Moore were all elected from a six-candidate field on Nov. 4. They are replacing Kelly Castleberry, Gordon Gauss, and Doug Miller. Castleberry chose not to run again, while Gauss and Miller were defeated for re-election.
Mayor Angela Sword Heath did not face any opposition and was elected to her fourth term. City commissioners serve staggered four-year terms, with three seats scheduled for election in every odd-numbered year, while the mayor is elected every two years.
One of the tasks that must be completed at the start of every new commission term is the appointment of commissioners to serve in various roles. Two of these roles are mayor pro tem and acting mayor, which under Adrian’s charter simply refer to the people who will take on the mayor’s responsibilities if the mayor is unable to fulfill them.
Commissioner Mary Roberts was chosen unanimously to serve as mayor pro tem, meaning she will fulfill the mayor’s duties if Heath is ever unable to.
Commissioner Bob Behnke was elected as acting mayor, who is second in line, on a 6-1 vote. The opposing vote came from commissioner Matt Schwartz, who had previously voiced support for placing Zych, the top vote-getter in this year’s election, in a leadership role. Zych had stated that she would be willing to serve if chosen, but that she would also be happy to support another commissioner for the position.
Zych was unanimously appointed as the commission’s representative to the Adrian Planning Commission, which is responsible for writing the city’s zoning ordinances, hearing requests for rezoning, and approving site plans for development projects.
Schwartz was unanimously appointed as the commission’s representative to the Zoning Board of Appeals, whose responsibilities include reviewing appeals of zoning-related decisions by city staff and approving or denying requests for variances from city zoning ordinances.
Heath also recommended that the commission re-establish the Human Relations Commission, which has been inactive for the past few years, and appoint Chesher as the commission’s representative on the group. The Human Relations Commission’s mission statement is to “promote respect for human rights and cultural diversity, to foster mutual self-respect and understanding, and promote amicable relations among all Adrian residents.” Chesher had advocated for re-establishing the group during his campaign.
“There’s been a want and a need, and a lot of requests for it to be reinstated,” Heath said.
Behnke, while supportive of re-establishing the group, commented that the lack of a city staff member serving as a liaison to the Human Relations Commission had led to a sense of disconnection between the group and city administration. He noted that many other committees have a city staff member who sits in on meetings, and recommended that the Human Relations Commission operate this way as well.
The vote to re-establish the group and appoint Chesher as the city commission’s representative was 6-1. The dissenting vote came from Moore, who said he voted no because Chesher had been endorsed by the Lenawee County Democratic Party and he felt this would make the group less nonpartisan.
Heath said that, because the Human Relations Commission has not been active, the city will need to start over with filling the seven seats on the committee, and any previous member who is interested in serving again will need to reapply.
